California Romance (35 page)

What felt like a lifetime later, Seth led Splotches and Dori down a rocky ravine and stopped in front of a large clump of bushes. He parted them and grunted. “Good. We’re on the right track.”

Dori stared at the opening in the rock wall. Her hands went clammy, and she felt faint. Memories rushed over her: tall buildings in San Francisco and Boston threatening to squeeze the life out of her. The crowd of people in the Chicago train depot, pressing her in on all sides. Being trapped in the train car, knowing an avalanche could bury her alive.

Dori’s fear and horror culminated in a wail. She put her hands over her face, backed away, and pleaded, “A cave? Please, Seth, don’t make me go into a cave.”

P
ity for the shivering girl who stumbled away from the large hole in the rock wall filled Seth. Two agonized voices rang in his ears: Dori’s plea,
“Please, Seth, don’t make me go into a cave.”
and Matt’s concern when he learned his sister was trapped in the snowbound railway car:
“Confinement in small spaces terrifies Dori. It always has.”

Now her face shone pale as death in the growing dusk. Naked fear darkened her eyes until they looked midnight black. Seth ached for what he had to do but set his jaw and quietly said, “I’m sorry, Dori. We have no choice. This is the only shelter for miles around.” His voice roughened, and pain flooded through him. “Copper’s gone. Even if he were here, we couldn’t get back to the ranch tonight. It’s getting dark, and Splotches is in no condition to travel. Neither are we.”

“Y–you d–don’t understand,” Dori spit out between chattering teeth. “If my life d–depended on it, I c–couldn’t g–go in the c–cave.”

Seth steeled himself against her appeal. “You can, and you will.” He hated the role he’d been forced to play but knew he must not weaken. “The cave is large enough for all three of us. I’ll have a fire blazing in no time so we can dry our clothes.” When Dori just stared at him, he took a deep breath and snapped, “I thought you were a thoroughbred, Miss Sterling. Stop acting like a baby and get in the cave. If you don’t, I’ll pack you in.”

She was obviously too tired and cold to defy him. “Please, Seth. Don’t make me go in there.”

It was all Seth could do to resist her appeal, but in such dire circumstances, he dared not show it. “I will do whatever’s necessary,” he said. “Matt put me in charge of you on my
terms
. Now get in that cave, and get in there now.”

For a moment, he thought she would refuse; then with a look that cut him to the heart, she stepped into the cave and hovered as close as she could to one side of the entrance. “I hate you for this, Seth Anderson.”

“I know.” Seth herded Splotches inside. “Stand next to her until I get a fire going,” he told Dori. “You can get some body heat from her.”

Dori silently nudged the pinto between her and the dark rock wall at the back of the cave, keeping her own position as near the entrance as possible.

Seth quickly gathered dry oak leaves and pine needles blown into the floor of the cave. He stacked them into a tepee-shaped pile, then strode outside and brought in great armfuls of downed pine branches. Moments later, a roaring fire just inside the entrance banished the chill.

Dori needed no invitation to step close to the blaze. Steam rose from her sodden clothing, and she huddled in the welcome warmth, slowly turning as if on a spit. Seth rejoiced to see some of the fear leave her face and a bit of color return. Heedless of his own discomfort, he unsaddled Splotches and removed the saddle blanket, which had miraculously stayed fairly dry except near the edges.

“Hold one side,” Seth told Dori. “As soon as it’s dry, you have to get out of your wet clothes. Give yourself a good rubdown with the blanket, and wrap up in it. You can’t stay in those wet clothes overnight.” Seth held his breath, wondering what to do if she refused, which she probably would. He gave an audible sigh of relief when she nodded instead of arguing.

“Good girl. Things could be a lot worse. We’re safe, and we’ll soon be dry. But I’m afraid there’ll be no supper. It’s too dark to hunt, and fishing in that swollen creek is out of the question.”

His remark earned him a small smile from Dori.

“I’m not very musical,” Seth added. “My stepsister Ellianna is the one with a singing voice. But being here reminds me of an old hymn.” He began singing:

For a long moment, Dori didn’t respond. Then she said, “Thank you. We really are hiding in a rock, aren’t we?” Her face gleamed in the firelight, and her fingers clenched and unclenched.

Seth’s heart soared. Dori had opened the door for him to speak a word for his Master. “Yes, but Jesus, the Rock of ages, is truly our shelter. We never need be afraid, no matter how bad the storm.”
Lord, let her know how true this is
, he silently prayed. To his disappointment Dori only said, “I think the blanket is dry enough now. If you don’t mind, I’ll step into my dressing room and change.” She took the warm blanket, squared her shoulders, and walked around behind Splotches.

Seth knew from the tilt of her head that leaving the bright fire for the darkness at the back of the cave was one of the hardest things Dori had ever done, but she didn’t falter. When she said in a determined, but shaky voice, “Keep singing, will you?” he had never admired her more. He bellowed until the echoes rang from the rock ceiling and walls, “Rock of ages, cleft for me, / Let me hide myself in Thee.”

He also prayed with all his might that the night would hold no further terrors for Dori; then he stripped branches from the pine limbs to make a bed for her near the fire.

Long after Dori lay asleep, wrapped in the saddle blanket like an Egyptian mummy, Seth kept watch. The firelight played on her exposed face. “So young and defenseless, in spite of all her bravado,” he murmured. Had she really meant it when she said she hated him? After they reached the Diamond S, how would she feel? Would she remember God’s goodness in helping Seth’s lasso fly strong and true? Would she appreciate the dreaded cave where they had found shelter? Would she consider the things Seth had told her? Or would she only remember the humiliation he had seen in her face when she asked him to take her to the barn raising and he refused? And the way he had laid hands on her in a moment he would always regret?

Seth sighed. His head drooped. How could he have let the iron grip on his emotions loosen? Fear for Dori’s safety when he saw Splotches leap the draw was no excuse. No matter what the provocation, he should have been able to control himself.

All through the long, dark hours, Seth kept the fire going and relived the day’s events. Pain for losing Copper settled to a dull ache. No more would they fly over the range or stop to rest on the promontory that overlooked the valley. There would be other horses, but none would ever replace the sorrel gelding Seth’s father had given him what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Just before dawn, fatigue replaced sadness and self-recrimination. Seth fell into an uneasy sleep. The nicker of a horse awakened him. His pulse quickened and he sat upright. “Copper?”

“No. It’s only Splotches,” a soft voice said. “I’m so sorry about Copper.”

Seth’s spurt of hope died. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and sprang to his feet. Dori, fully dressed and holding the saddle blanket, stood watching him. Sympathy shone in her blue eyes. Seth couldn’t read her expression other than knowing it wasn’t hatred. “Let’s go home. I’m starved,” she said.

In spite of his misery over losing Copper, Seth rejoiced. Except for tangled hair and a dirty face, Dori looked none the worse for her dunking in the creek. He couldn’t say the same for himself. It seemed they had been away from the ranch for a week instead of less than a day. “All you can think of is your stomach,” he teased. “What about the worry we’ve caused our folks?”

Dori’s grin showed the unplanned night in the cave had dampened but not drowned her high spirits. “Why should they worry? They know you’ll take care of me.” Leaving Seth gasping, she demanded, “Well, are you coming? Or do I have to ride Splotches home and send someone back to get you?”

Lord, if I live to be older than the Sierras I will never understand Dori Sterling
, Seth silently confessed.
In less than a day, I’ve seen her change her mood more times than a day in March. One thing for certain: Whoever marries her will never be bored
.

Once outside the cave, Seth saddled the pinto. After the trio climbed out of the ravine, he made Dori ride while he walked beside her. He shuddered, thinking of the distance they had to cover before reaching the ranch. Even if Matt and the hands were out searching for them, Seth and Dori were far afield from where they had planned to ride. It would hamper the search party.

Shortly after the sun climbed over the top of a nearby hill, a shrill whistle split the morning air. Then another. A bunch of riders rode into sight, with Matt and Curly in front and Bud leading a saddled horse.

“How did they find us?” Dori cried

“I don’t know, but I’m mighty glad they did,” Seth replied. He snatched off his Stetson and waved.
“ Yippee-ki-ay!”

Answering yells came back from the rescue party, and a few minutes later, they surrounded Seth and Dori. “Are you all right?” Matt asked.

“We’re fine, especially now that you’ve come.” Dori smiled. “We spent the night in a cave, and—”

“A cave?” Matt’s jaw dropped, and he shot Seth a quick glance.

Dori’s smile wobbled. “It was a very nice cave, as caves go, if you like that sort of thing.” The next moment her eyes filled with tears. “If Seth hadn’t been there yesterday I’d have died.” Bright drops spilled from her eyes, and her face twisted. “Oh Matt, the river took Copper.”

Matt’s mouth dropped open; then he reared back in the saddle and laughed. “Well, it may have taken him, but it gave him back. Copper was standing outside the corral this morning, wet and tired, but not hurt. That’s how we found you—by following his tracks.”

Could a man burst with happiness? Seth’s, “Thank God!” mingled with Dori’s delighted cry. Their gazes met. Locked. Dori’s expression after all the hours of worry and fear made Seth’s eyes sting. His joy at knowing Copper was safe and waiting reflected in the girl’s eyes like twin bonfires. No matter what might come, he would carry that look in his heart and cherish it.

Seth’s joy continued until they reached the ranch. The stable hands had already cared for Copper, but Seth patted his horse and whispered to him before cleaning up and heading to Solita’s kitchen for a much-needed meal. His good mood, however, died when Katie O’Riley joined them for a cup of coffee and brought up the last subject Seth wanted discussed.

“Miss Dori, what’s a barn raising?” she innocently asked. “Curly asked if I’d go with him, but I don’t for the life of me know what ’tis.” She shook her curly red head and chuckled. “How can a barn get raised up? For sure not like Lazarus in the Bible.”

Seth avoided looking at Dori but couldn’t ignore the ice in her voice when she said, “When a neighbor’s barn burns or falls down, folks for miles around gather early in the morning to raise—build—a new one. The womenfolk bring food enough to feed a regiment, and there’s a square dance at the end of the day when the building is done.”

Seth couldn’t help stealing a look at Dori. His heart sank and he lost his appetite. The tilt of her pretty chin boded no good for one Seth Anderson.

“Curly will be a wonderful escort and you will have a lot of fun, Katie.” She paused and sent Seth a disdainful glance. “So will Seth. He’s taking Abby, you know.”

“The pretty young lady who works at the Yosemite Hotel?” Katie’s green eyes sparkled. “She’s a fine colleen, I’m for thinking.”

Dori shoved back from the table. “She is. Any man would be proud to take her.” She left the room with her head high.

Katie looked stricken. “Did I say something wrong?”

Seth forced a smile and stood, leaving half his breakfast uneaten. “No, Katie. Miss Dolores is just tired.” But he winced as he went out. Dori had parroted the very words he’d used when turning down her invitation to the barn raising. Seth sighed. Hang it all, he’d only invited Abby because she’d taken for granted that he’d escort her. This was what came of paying attention to only one girl at a time. Would Dori ever forgive him for refusing the invitation it had obviously cost her dearly to make—an invitation Seth suspected would never be repeated?

D
ori slowly trudged up the staircase on feet that felt heavier than lead. Exhaustion and disappointment washed through her like the waves of the swollen stream that had threatened to overwhelm her.

“Don’t be a ninny,” she ordered herself. “You should be glad Curly invited Katie to the barn raising. You don’t want him, so why feel betrayed? Curly, Bud, Slim, and a dozen others have practically camped on your doorstep ever since you came home. You’ve laughed at them. It’s natural for them to be attracted to Katie.”